2. Authorizing the Purchasing Agent to issue two Purchase Orders for meal rethermalization and delivery equipment for the Youth Services Center and for the adjoining Girls’ Camp in the amount of $112,194.46

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all

Goal 7: Help vulnerable people – the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others – achieve a better quality of life.

These purchases contribute to this goal by allowing Health Food and Nutrition Services to secure a meal delivery system for the Youth Services Center and Girls’ Camp. This system will provide nutritious meals under the highest standards for food safety and quality to the youth housed in these facilities.

Health Food and Nutrition Services is participating in the planning and transitioning of the Youth Services Center and the new Margaret Kemp Camp for Girls. Meals will need to be provided to three different locations: housing units, the central dining facility and the Girls’ Camp. Each will require different types of actual meal delivery including cafeteria, family style and individual serving trays. It is also possible that each program may use a combination of meal delivery styles. For example, in the housing unit, most residents will go to the cafeteria for meals; however, if a resident is ill or otherwise unable to dine in the cafeteria, an individual tray method would need to be used to serve that meal.

As part of the planning, the substandard results of customer satisfaction in previous surveys were taken into consideration. Most complaints were about the temperature of the food. In addition, temperature is a critical factor in ensuring proper food safety. Delivery systems which heat, cool and maintain optimum temperatures are essential.

All methods of meal delivery require that the food be maintained at the appropriate temperatures, despite the lapse in time for delivery. In order to maximize use of the equipment, it is necessary for the equipment used in all three methods to be compatible.

DISCUSSION:

A Youth Services Program Consultant was hired by Probation in FY 2002-03 to assist with program design of the Youth Services Campus. This consultant recommended that the meals be delivered cafeteria style as well as by individual trays. A second consultant was hired to assist with program implementation as the project came closer to completion. After discussions with the second consultant and with staff from Probation, it was determined that a retherm system would be necessary to meet the various needs of the three locations. This system allows safe and timely service of quality meals with the fewest number of different components. Burlodge USA, Inc., (Burlodge) was chosen and considered sole-source as they are the only provider of a retherm meal delivery system that can provide food service by cafeteria, family or individual tray methods. The Burlodge system will allow Probation staff and the children to easily assist in the safe handling of food at end point of delivery.

Sole sourcing the meal delivery system from Burlodge USA, Inc., will allow for optimum meal service under sanitary and safe food handling conditions and is expected to improve meal services as well as customer satisfaction.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The cost of the Burlodge meal systems equipment is $112,194.46. An Appropriation Transfer Request will be completed as part of the year-end process, moving funds from Salaries and Benefits to Fixed Assets and Services and Supplies to cover this expense. There is no Net County Cost.